The present invention relates to continuous casting for the production of relatively thin slab ingots, wherein the relatively reduced thickness obtains downstream from the mold and as compared with the state during casting, particularly for the casting of steel. Steel is poured into the mold and is withdrawn by means of rollers engaging accordingly the partially solidified casting or ingot and acting as rolls for reducing its thickness. At least some of the rolls are driven while at least individual ones of the rolls or rollers of any pair of oppositely positioned rolls are adjustable hydraulically vis-a-vis each other and the ingot in between as it is being withdrawn.
Slabs are usually the raw materials or blanks for the production of sheet stock, or plate and strip material. If the slabs being continuously cast have a thickness in excess of 100 mm certain internal separation problems arise inside the casting. In accordance with German printed patent application No. 24 44 443 the problem of separation was solved by deforming the ingot just a little upstream from the (internal) point in the casting wherein solidification was completed. The reduction in cross section or at least on one dimension in this situation is to be about 1/10% or more but not more than about 2%.
Presently developments in the field of continuous casting have led to attempts to match the thickness of the ingot made by continuous casting as close as possible to the thickness of the desired final product. Basically particularly thin slabs are the result of these efforts. A thin slab is e.g. a strip blank with a thickness of about 40 to 50 mm. Strips or slab blanks of that kind however have a casting texture of a particular kind. Following the withdrawal of the ingot by the transport rollers the solidified strand or ingot is cut into certain lengths, and the resulting individual thin slab pieces are fed to an equalizing furnace in order to make sure that the temperature is the same throughout; following which the slab is rolled. This procedure is described in "Stahl und Eisen" (Steel and Iron), 1988, vol. 3, page 99 et seq. This method is quite conventional but disadvantaged by the fact that the plant and machinery is rather complex. Moreover, the casting texture of the slab is undesirable.